St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-04
WHISPERS.

Talking the other day with President
j. j. HILL, of the Manitoba, he told me
something about the country through
which the extension of his road passes
| that | think will be equally new to you.
1t had been generally supposed that,
while Montana was an excellent cOun-
try for grazing purposes, it possessed
little or no agricultural land, except in
the Gallatin valley. Mr.. HILL says this
is mistake, as in the Milk and Sun
/ river valleys as fine farming land exists
as could be desired. But that was not
the most significant part of his talk. He
further Informed me that within twelve
miles of Great Falls, Mont, there was a
deposit of iron ore thirty feet wide, and
right near it were also deposits of coal
| and limestone. The coal, he says, is
not the ordinary Ignite with which the
| people of Dakota and Montana are so
| familiar. but excellent hard bituminOus
coal. Nature has thus provided three
| of her greatest treasures in close prOX-
unity to each other. The immense
deposits are waiting for some one to de-
velOp then, land the Manitoba is doing its
! part by running branch out to them.
| The Importance of these mines to the
| people of Montana cannot be Over-esti-
mated, and they are equally important
potentially to the people of st. Paul. l
also learn from Mr.. HILL that Great
| Fares is town with future before it
| of exceeding promise. 1t has very good
water power, and is growing rapidly.
There is hardly such a thing as the
far West any more.
A. III. WILDER is a gentleman who
has been in the West longer than Mr..
HILL, even, and who in addition to hav
ing accumulated fortune almost as
great as that of the Manitoba president,
has had more diversified career. Mr..
WILDER loves the frontier. He was
saying in conversation the other day
that despite the attractiveness of
dence, if he were a young man
with fortune to make he
would go the frontier. ''It's the way |
made my money!" he said, land it af
fOrds chances for others even now. A
retail business, with quick sales and big
profits i'll a frontier town, is a sure and
steady source of wealth, if you can find
the town." He was extremely pleased
with Spokane Falls, both from what he
had seen and what he had heard of that
growing little trade depot of Washing
ton territory, and believed it would
amount to great deal before very long.
In Helena also in his opinion there were
many chances for energetic young men
with little money and contempt for
hard work. But just the same he would
not advise any young man who was
comfortably settled in st. Paul to pull
out for the frontier unless lie had a
pretty sure thing.
st. Paul is far enough west for most
of us, isn't it?
Apropos of Helena, there is a man
occupying government position there
who has rather romantic history. His
name is MICHAEL MEYENDORF-he is
Russian-and he is melter in the
United States assay Office, very re-
lent salary is attached. During the
war of the Rebellion MEYENDoRF, then
a lieutenant in the Russian army, was
sentenced to Siberia for alleged nihil-
ism. He had brother, a captain in the
Union army. At the close of the war
this captain, as reward for his Serv-
ices, asked this government to secure
the release of his brother. 1t was done
mainly through the efforts of Mr..
BLAINE. MEYENDORF came to this
country, and, though absolutely ignOr-
ant of English, attended the University
of Michigan, where he perfected himself
in knowledge of our language
after graduation he was almost deSti-
tute and tried to turn his hand at sew
eral things, but with little SecceSs. FL
nally he applied to Mr.. BLAINE, then
secretary of state, who, remembering
him, secured him subordinate posi-
ton in the Helena mint. from which he
has risen to the responsible position of
head melter and leader of the Helena
dudedOm-eQually arduOuS if not equally
important positions. He SWearS by
BLAINE, of course, and when the proper
time comes will go East to make stump
speeches for the man from Maine, even,
perhaps, favoring Minnesota with his
elOQuence,
Rather better than the Siberian mines,
/ think you'll agree.
[ suppose you have Noticed that Carl
caturiSt MAST will lecture i'll the city
Monday, but | venture to say that you
don't know that MAST is the most pOpu-
lar civilian living with the officers of the
army and navy. 1t happened in this
wise: In 1879 there was good deal of
talk about further reducing the army
and navy, it being claimed that we had
no use for either. Public opinion sup
ported the demand, and bill was intro
duced to that effect. MAST was then
with Harper's Weekly. He at once be-
gan series of sketches depicting our
them-holding up the national flag, the
entire army being represented by one
famished soldier. He followed this with
cartoons showing the possibility of the
rule of mObS unchecked, and in fact
brought about such revulSiOn of feel
ing that the bill was defeated. A testi-
mOnial was at once started for him
by the officers, but MAST asked
that it be dropped on the ground that
United States officers were so poorly
paid that they could not afford anything
of the kind. Then another subscription,
limited to % cents each, was started and
1000 easily realized, for which Tiffany
designed magnificent silver, canteen
now in the possession of Mr.. MAST.
Sometimes it's the pencil that's might
Ter than the sword.
Perhaps you may know Dr. Don
NELLY, the mild-mannered son of Hon.
IGNATIUs DONNELLY. Ifyou don'tyou
will appreciate the story as much any
how if you will bear in mind that he
and his learned father are exceedingly
fond of each other, even if they don't
look very much alike. DR.. DONNELLY
is very sweet of temper and very gentle
OF disposition. ana is accordingly
easy prey to book agents, who
know not of the firmness that
turks beneath the mild exterior. There
entered unto him the other day a book
agent, the most vOluble of his garrulOus
class. Claiming the doctors attention
in moment and not permitting him to
interrupt, he spread forth prospectus
of the Hon. IGNATIUs' Forthcoming work
on the Baconian cipher. Learnedly
and at length did he eXpatiate upon its
merits and the talent of its author. In
his responsiveness he grew eloquent,
and finally wound up his eulogy upon the
gifted author who had knocked
SHAKEsPEARE out in one round with
out gloves by declaring that his audit
ef's life would be incomplete until he
o. hill